"And it wasn't just the . In terms of air pollution, the 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranked Nepal 177th out of 180 countries. Green sticker = green light to pollute, Sonam Choekyi Lama. Indeed, a long-term solution requires policy level intervention and coordination between all branches of government. Other global AQI measurement sites likeIQAirput Kathmandus pollution level at 487 the highest among cities in the region. Strong laws related to environment should be made and implemented. Thanks for contacting us. Tags: environment, pollution, Philippines Coronavirus Bulletin Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. The agency, along with local and . Factors contributing to this level of pollution are local," said Shankar Prasad Paudel, information officer with the Department of Environment. , : Which country has the most number of lakes. It has a negative impact on various environmental aspects which directly or indirectly affect the quality of human health. Of course, a masks effectiveness depends on how well it fits on the face, but a simple, disposable surgical mask can be more cost-effective than those fancy looking expensive ones. Even before Covid-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned that poor, in northern India and the Tarai was already the. The EPI recently found Nepal to have the worst air pollution in the world. "I don't remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past," Khadka told Reuters. These two are just representative examples of millions of people who are directly or indirectly affected by dust, a burning issue of the twenty first century. Education ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said about eight million students have been affected by the closures. purely b. wisely c. competentlyd. Some air pollution is not seen, but its pungent smell alerts you. Three members of the Paudel family followed suit, but they never gave much thought to the quality of the air they were breathing in. climbed to hazardous levels, forcing millions of students to stay home across the country. 2426/077-78 Every year, we witness a surge in air pollution during the winter season. Recently the government has decided that the plastics that are less than 40 microns will be banned from use from the month of Shrawan 2078. According to Poudel, the pollution level in the border towns of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar can slightly influence pollution along the border area. There are dozens of varieties of masks available in the market, along with air purifiers that cost more than Rs130,000. The government should really take a closer look at what their decision might lead the environment and the whole country to in the future. There is now growing fear that the toxic air of India, which had 22 of the worlds most polluted cities in 2018, will reach Nepal and cause a similar health panic, especially as the country itself has been struggling to check its air pollution levels. Electrified public transport would have been a good place to start, but 6 months after Prime Minister KP Oli launched an electric mobility action plan to turn at least 20% of public vehicles into battery-operated ones by 2020, progress has been slow. Modern day Nepal is one of the most polluted and impoverished places in the world. It is a call to mobilize, say the authors who . A general view of a street during a smoggy day as the government has orderedschoolsto close for four days after the air pollution climbed to hazardous levels, forcing millions of students to stay home across the country, in Kathmandu, Nepal March 30, 2021. Taking action to tackle the pollution in Nepal Since the festival of Diwali ended last week, the air quality in New Delhi has drastically deteriorated, resulting in air pollution levels reaching nearly 10 times healthy limits. Photo Courtesy: Department of Environment/Air Quality Montoring, A screenshot showing Air Quality Index (AQI) for various cities as measured at 9 am on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Winter inversion, vehicular emission, wildfires, and cross-border industrial pollution have combined to give Kathmandu Valley the worst air quality among cities in the world this week, adding to the risk of respiratory complications for Covid-19 patients. Publisher: Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu Therefore, it is advised that everyone should avoid all outdoor exertions. People must stay safe indoors and not come out except for emergencies, the health ministry said. Nepal is not far behind with 98% of its people living in such areas. Collective action from many sectors is needed to assure that everyone can breathe clean air.. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has a population of around3.5 million. 25th Jan, 2023. In Nepal, COPD is the second major cause of death after Ischemic Heart Diseases. Scavengers help keep world clean, but left to plead for CO Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Murdaugh son collapsed outside court after sitting stone-faced through dad's 6-week murder trial: source, Tom Sandoval breaks silence on Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims, Kelly Osbourne posts first photo of baby son as he hangs out with uncle Jack, Greys Anatomy alum Isaiah Washington retiring from acting: The haters have won, Max Scherzer's first look at the new pitch clock, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. 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Bhushan Tuladhar, an environmentalist who closely watches levels of air pollution in the country, agrees that there is a minimal chance of pollution from Delhi and northern India reaching Kathmandu, although cities in the Tarai are already dealing with poor air quality coming from across the border. These are the key points that needs to be followed in order to bring a positive change in the environment. This has a negative impact on sectors that are critical to many economies, including tourism, shipping and fisheries. Kathmandu has dangerous levels of air and water pollution, making certain regions of the city nearly unlivable. The COP27 sponsor's products were the most commonly found items by volunteers researching plastic pollution. Globally, air pollution results in around sevenmillion deaths annually. Besides the quantity of fuel consumption, the poor road condition of older vehicles is triggering air quality problems in the valley. In 2017, the Department of Environment had drafted an action plan to tackle the deteriorating quality of air in Kathmandu Valley. Reuters. The government has declared a public health emergency, asking schools to shut down and residents to avoid outdoor physical activities, especially during morning and late evening. Hourly AQI data showed Simara's air quality as very hazardous at 8:00 am. The transport sector further contributes 30 percent of PM10 particles, which are smaller than a grain of sand and can easily pass through the hairs in our nose, second only to the construction sector, which emits 53 percent of the total PM10. The study sounds the alarm that the growing global problem, which scientists are only beginning to understand, requires urgent and immediate action. Poor air quality in Kathmandu and inside rural homes due to smoky kitchen fires kill far more people across South Asia than SARS-CoV-2. We chartered a train to Glasgow for COP26 and took 500 people with us. We could barely see the birds flying around before but nowadays we can see the birds chirping and flying up in the sky due to decrease in air pollution. Trans-boundary pollution can affect our air quality too as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, connected to Nepal, are also polluted. However, the record-breaking pollution this winter will add to the risk of the coronavirus. The government has also decided to sell the natural minerals like sand, rocks, mud etc to India. Controlling tobacco in Nepal is already such a big challenge, butKathmandus degrading air quality has doubled the disease burden, says health activist Shanta Lall Mulmi. Plastic overconsumption and mismanagement of plastic waste is a growing menace, causing landfills to overflow, choking rivers, and threatening marine ecosystems. At a time when KathmandusAQI was hitting record highs on Tuesday morningwith 438, the New Delhi suburb of Noida recorded less than 151 (AQI World map, below). Barun Poudel, a senior meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecasting Division, says that the chances of pollution travelling as far north as Kathmandu from Indian cities are slim, but that Nepali cities bordering India have already seen some impacts. Globally, air pollution results in around seven million deaths annually. Air pollution is more dangerous than smoking. Whilstthis shows an improvement over the course of one year, when observing datataken from the capital city . Similarly, Dhangadhi was third in line to have the most degraded air quality among the list of stations measuring the AQI. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Donate to The Ecologist and support high impact environmental journalism and analysis. The visibility in Kathmandu valley has degraded to a significant level. At a time when Kathmandus, AQI was hitting record highs on Tuesday morning, with 438, the New Delhi suburb of Noida recorded less than 151 (. Average life expectancy is reduced by at least four years in the worst-affected areas like Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan and other parts of the Tarai. Rapid and haphazard urbanisation in the last few decades has resulted in the degradation of the environment, predominantly in terms of air pollution. Similarly, a University of Massachusetts study found that the good old surgical mask blocked 60% of 0.03 micron particles, and over 90% of 1 micron and 2.5 micron particles. Nepal isn't short of water, thanks to the monsoon rains and the rivers that bring meltwater down from the Himalayan glaciers and snowpack. Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause many of the health conditions associated with increased vulnerability to Covid-19, such as diabetes and chronic heart and lung diseases, said the. One of those rivers is the Melamchi, about 25 . Kathmandu valley requireshalf of the total gasoline consumed in Nepal. This also adds to the risk of COVID-19, said Sher Bahadur Pun, a doctor at a tropical and infectious disease hospital in the capital. Introduction. And with reports of Indias north and its capital New Delhi struggling with extreme air pollution, Sunil wonders how much worse the air will get this winter. Similarly, household air pollution (HAP) was over 18-folds higherduring our survey in 2007 than the WHO recommended guidelines . UNICEF, on Wednesday, issued a statement calling for urgent action to address this air quality crisis in South Asia. There will be very less production of crops and the economy of the whole country can go downhill by this negative decision made by the government. AQI level between 0-50 is Good, 51-100 is Moderate, 101-150 is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 151-200 is Unhealthy, 201-300 is Very Unhealthy, and anything above 301 is regarded as Hazardous. Atmospheric greenhouse gases reach record high, latest essay from our Megamorphosis series now. Your email address will not be published. AQI levels in north India and Nepal on 5 January at 8AM showing Kathmandu's much higher pollution levels compared to New Delhi. The entire population is more likely to be affected. Their effectiveness also varies depending on the work place, environment and fitting. Arjun Khadka, 65, who owns a grocery store in Kathmandu, said he experienced itching and burning sensations in the eyes and nose which could be due to pollution. Hundreds of thousands are sheltering in tents, breathing air thick with pollutants unleashed from tombs of rubble, fearful that a new disaster could strike at any moment. The World Health Organisation ('WHO') has reported that PM2.5 levels of particulate matter in urban areas of Nepal . In 2000 / 2001 there were 24,003 vehicles registered in Kathmandu and this has increased dramatically to 79,822 in 2015 / 2016. The environment has been in a better condition. The Geyh-Bouwer Trainee Practice Award recognizes students whose application of science demonstrates the betterment of the environment and/or public health. Education ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said about eight million students have been affected by the closures. It remained at above 500 from 10PM till 5AM, falling to 480 at 7AM on Tuesday. Submissions We human beings have been using the natural resources profusely. 1. Environmental pollution is one of the greatest threats of the world today. In recent time it has been seen that the pollution is increasing day by day. The country of 30 . Similarly, one-fifth of the total diesel is used in Kathmandu. Officials at Nepals only international airport in Kathmandu said poor visibility, which was down to 1,000 metres on Monday, widely disrupted flights. By Leah Douglas. And even though the nature of pollution in New Delhi and Kathmandu is varied, Nepal needs to learn to deal with its own toxic air. This is also indicated in maroon. The level between 401 and 500 is very hazardous. SAMPLE 2. But public outrage does not seem to translate into action to clean up the air. once done will text u on pint nd ins, I saw a fantastic film yesterday. This indicates, around a quarter of the total deaths due to air pollution in Nepal are in Kathmandu. The World Air Quality Project's index stood at 515 at that time while that of the Department of Environment (DoE) stood at 490. Additionally, problems like littering and excessive carbon emissions are causing problems for both people and the environment. In addition, vehicles passing over broken or traveled road release huge amounts of dust particles into the air, worsening air pollution further. There is a proportionately very high consumption of gasoline and diesel inthe valley. The environment of the industrial areas should be properly managed by the industries and concerned agencies. Air pollution is even more dangerous than previously thought, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned . To The Editor The . Only a year ago, snow clad mountains shone brightly in the winter and we could see the mountains and hills clearly. FEATURED FUNDS.